


looking for astronauts

by sylwrites



Series: break free and run [9]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 04:30:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17974526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sylwrites/pseuds/sylwrites
Summary: If the world is made up of archetypes, Betty Cooper is without question 'the good girl'.But today, for the first time, she hears the words, “Youbadgirl.”





	looking for astronauts

_ You know you have a permanent piece  
_ _ Of my medium-sized American heart _

  * The National



  
  


If the world is made up of archetypes, Betty Cooper is without question a  _ good girl. _

 

It started when she was a child. Her mother reported very few tears. She was obedient. She cleaned up her toys. She kept her room tidy. Her friends’ parents  _ loved  _ her. She was a good influence, without a doubt. She helped out at dinner, got good grades, and she always studied hard.

 

Where applicable, this is still true: she still studies hard, still gets good grades, is still neat, still makes a good impression on adults. But today, for the first time, she hears the words, “Betty Cooper, you  _ bad  _ girl.”

 

.

.

.

 

It starts on a Friday evening. She’s at the small apartment-style dorm that she shares with her roommate, Veronica, who informs her that she’s going out with a guy she’s been seeing and if all goes well, not to expect her back until the morning. This is fine with Betty; for one, she’s happy that Veronica has finally met a decent guy, and for two, it means that she can have her boyfriend over uninterrupted. Betty texts Jughead, and he shows up at seven-fifteen with a pizza under his arm and the quick, rare smile that she loves so dearly.

 

“Hey,” he says with the easy tone that only she has earned. “Deluxe okay?”

 

Betty takes the pizza box from him and returns the quick kiss he presses to her lips. “Of course,” she tells him, the immediacy of her reply still a partial remnant from her mother. “I’ll get some plates.”

 

“Okay.” Jughead follows her into the kitchenette and grabs drinks for them from the fridge, then settles beside her on couch in the nearby living room. “Anything in particular you want to do?”

 

Betty shrugs. “Figured we could have a low-key night in. Netflix?”

 

“Works for me.” He opens the pizza box and loads up one of the plates with a few slices, then nonchalantly adds, “Maybe later we can do some of that  _ chill,  _ too.”

 

She giggles at the line. “Maybe indeed,” she says lightly, taking some pizza for herself. “Pick up where we left off in  _ Russian Doll?”  _

 

They end up settling on a movie -  _ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs -  _ and by the time the short film with Tom Waits begins, they’re finished eating and are sprawled out on the couch. Betty’s feet are settled in Jughead’s lap with his fingers wrapped around her cold toes, and she’s halfway to falling asleep when he breaks the contented silence between them.

 

“Are you going home to Riverdale for summer?” 

 

The question is unexpected. First, as an admitted movie snob, Jughead is generally very against unnecessary talking during a movie, so it’s surprising to Betty that it would be him to speak first. Second, although now that it’s March, she’s obviously thinking about what to do for the summer, Betty hadn’t thought that it would be something that Jughead would also be dwelling on. He’s definitely staying in Boston, having actually moved here with his dad - there’s nothing left for him in Riverdale. And of course, that’s left her wondering - where does that leave her?

 

“I don’t know,” Betty says honestly. “I’ve applied for some internships in Boston for the summer, but I don’t know what Veronica’s plans are and I won’t be able to stay here in this dorm, so I’d need to get a roommate.”

 

She watches Jughead’s reaction carefully. He’s not looking at her - still staring at the screen, where the old prospector is climbing a tree - but lower lip is drawn between his teeth somewhat nervously.

 

“Ah,” he responds, his voice careful and slow. “Well um, if she was leaving, and if you wanted to stay, I just wanted to let you know that you are welcome to stay with Dad and I.”

 

Betty smiles and wiggles her toes against his hand to get him to look at her. “That sounds really nice,” she says honestly. 

 

She isn’t exactly looking forward to spending the best months of the year at her parents’ again, not after having this taste of what it’s like to live independently from them. And she and Jughead have been getting along great - things are going really well - so while it might be a bit soon, she doesn’t think there’s anything too wrong with the option, if need be.

 

“I’ll talk to Veronica,” Betty promises, “and let you know.”

 

Jughead looks at her, a bit of relief in his face, and then turns the volume up a couple of levels as he begins to watch the movie again. He waits a few beats, but just as Betty also turns her attention back to the screen, his hand squeezes her feet.

 

“I love you,” he says softly, not looking at her.

 

Betty swallows. It isn’t the first time he’s said those words to her, but perhaps because she knows how difficult it’s been for him to rebuild his trust in people after everything that’s gone on with his father’s sobriety struggles, it still feels important every time.

 

“I love you too,” she breathes, and he smiles.

 

.

.

.

 

_ Really,  _ Betty is a good girl. 

 

That said, it is slightly possible that Veronica has a point when she walks into their shared kitchen the following morning and accuses her of being quite the opposite.

 

Betty has absolutely no idea how Veronica got home without her hearing the door open, but somehow, it happened. Unfortunately, she’d been expecting her roommate home slightly later, so when Veronica turns the corner, Betty is - how can she put it delicately? -  _ distracted.  _

 

She’d gotten up before Jughead, as per usual, and had decided to start to cook breakfast. She’d had a stack of pancakes made and was about to wash the frying pan when he’d sauntered up behind her, tugged her ponytail to one side, and kissed her neck. And fine, sue her: she has a hot boyfriend, and he’s good at kissing, even when it’s not her mouth. She enjoys it. So she’d leaned back into him, head tilted, and sighed, “Mm, good morning.”

 

The response is a mumbled “g’morning” and the knuckles of one of his hands tracing the line of her panties across her ass. She’s immediately glad that she’d forgone pants and pushes her hips backward to encourage him. His palm replaces his knuckles, squeezing her ass affectionately as the other sneaks beneath the tank top she’s wearing.

 

“I’ve got plans for you today,” Jughead mutters into her ear, his fingers tugging gently at her nipple. “Big plans.”

 

“Oh yeah?” Betty’s breath catches partway through the last word as Jughead’s hand leaves her ass and slips into the front of her underwear. She clutches the edge of the countertop and leans into his warmth at her back and asks, “Like what?”

 

He slips a finger inside her and palms her other breast a bit more roughly. “Well for one thing,” he informs her, catching her earlobe between his teeth, “you definitely won’t need-”

 

“Oh my  _ god!”  _ a feminine voice exclaims. “Betty Cooper, you  _ bad  _ girl.”

 

Betty shrieks at the unexpected third voice and snaps her head over to observe Veronica standing in the doorway with her hands over her eyes. “Veronica!” she yelps, jumping away from Jughead. “Get out!”

 

“I live here!” Veronica retorts, but she does indeed head out of the kitchen and hopefully toward her bedroom. “You guys need a condom?” she calls, laughing.

 

Betty can feel her face burning as she attempts to straighten the clothing she has on. She glances at Jughead, whose visible excitement is waning as quickly as can probably be expected, and who manages to look both embarrassed and amused.

 

“I didn’t think she’d be home yet,” he says apologetically.

 

Betty closes her eyes briefly while she nods. “I didn’t hear her come in,” she finally utters, wrinkling her nose. “Well, that’s two people who have walked in on us in a kitchen.”

 

Jughead moves toward the sink and rinses his hands. He snorts, likely at the memory of his father interrupting them one morning in a similarly compromising position, then quips, “Yeah, I thought you were going to learn to control yourself around me.”

 

Betty’s jaw drops and she hits his arm playfully. “I hate you,” she informs him, dragging him toward the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. “Let’s get dressed and I’ll see if my pancakes will make up for scarring my roommate for life.”

 

“No scars!” Veronica calls cheerfully through her closed door. “You guys looked hot!”

 

_ “Oh my god,”  _ Betty hisses, pressing her fingertips to her temples. “Veronica!”

 

“If they’re chocolate chip pancakes, I’ll never mention it again.”

 

Jughead looks hopefully at Betty at that, the question already in his eyes. She shakes her head, dejected.

 

“They’re regular.”

 

.

.

.

 

**fin**


End file.
